USS Monitor Engine leaves NNS

After a 19-day stay in dry dock, the engine of the USS Monitor departed Newport News Shipbuilding on August 7 for its new home at the Mariners' Museum.

The historic steam engine was recovered by Navy divers off Cape Hatteras, N.C. and brought to NNS for offloading and eventual transport to the museum.  

NNS riggers were responsible for preparing the dry dock and cranes to accommodate the 30-ton engine. They also took on the immense task of lifting the engine and its cradle onto the 18-axel truck that was used to place the engine onto a barge for delivery to the museum.

The Monitor, located off Cape Hatteras about 230 feet below the ocean's surface, is steadily deteriorating and divers have been recovering items such as the engine in hopes of stabilizing the wreck and preserving its history before it deteriorates further.

NNS has been involved in the recovery project from the beginning, and earlier this year many NNS employees volunteered their time to help the museum construct a 35-foot-square holding tank (shown below) that will accommodate and preserve the ship's engine.

The engine and its cradle were lifted over twelve feet in the air towards the conservation tank. The tank was constructed by NNS welders and holds over 91,000 gallons of water.